Junior Olivia Hodge pulled into the parking lot of Oak Grove Baptist Church Nov. 6 at 7 a.m. knowing she wasn’t going to get to leave until late in the evening. Why would she stay in a church all day? She was volunteering in the voting polls.
“I did anything that needed to be done. I picked up precinct cards, helped with crowd control, and the election process,” said Hodge.
This year was Hodge’s first year to help at the voting polls. She got the opportunity to help when her mother, who works on the Election Commission, asked her if she would like to help out.
Hodge was working alongside Mrs. Cindy Fitzgerald, the school’s bookkeeper, who was in charge of that specific site. She has been working at voting polls for 10 years.
“Some friends recommended me for the job and I said I’d be glad to,” said Mrs. Fitzgerald.
Preparations for the voting polls began months in advance when the people involved attended mandatory training sessions. The set up started the night before when Mrs. Fitzgerald went to pick up the electronic voting machines.
“We got all of the equipment from the Election Commissioner’s Office, and I have to take it back when the polls close,” said Mrs. Fitzgerald.
The polls were open for 12 hours from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Over the course of the day, 896 voters visited the church to cast their votes.
“The busiest times were early in the morning and right after people started getting off work,” said Mrs. Fitzgerald.
The Oak Grove Baptist Church voting site offered two different voting options. Voters could choose to use electronic machines or a traditional paper ballot. According to Mrs. Fitzgerald, the use of paper ballots compared to the electronic machines was split equally.
“If the line wasn’t long, electronic was better because it is quicker,” said Mrs. Fitzgerald. “We only had three electronic machines. If we had more, lines would be shorter,” she said.